A few years ago, I realized I was becoming frustrated when it came to correcting interdental and lateral lisps. I felt like I was missing something. We spent months and months targeting the dreaded /s/. Sure, my student “hid” her tongue behind her teeth, but that /s/ still sounded distorted. Thanks to a very lucky Google search, I learned about Sandra Holtzman’s Orofacial Myology: From Basics to Habituation CEU course. Prior to the course, I didn’t know much about Orofacial Myology. It was, in a word, eye-opening! I came back from that course, changed my approach with my student who hadn’t had much success with correcting her lisp, and literally within a few months… she was ready for dismissal. In my humble professional opinion, it is essential that the Speech-Language Pathologist treating a child who has a lisp has some background knowledge and understanding in Orofacial Myology. Please note that this packet is a stand alone packet that contains foundational information as well as some lingual and labial strength and coordination exercises from phase 1 that I learned during this course. I recommend using the “Myo Manual” by Sandra Holtzman with this packet. Please visit the following website to learn more information:http://www.orofacialmyology.com/

If you are not having much luck with the traditional articulation approach, you might find this packet beneficial when treating an interdental lisp or a lateral lisp.

FIRST, you'll target-
Orofacial Myology Basics (“Ninja in Training” stage): informational handouts, labial and lingual strength and coordination exercises. You'll also work to establish the correct lingual posture at rest. (Companion worksheets for Phase 1 of Sandra Holtzman's "Myo Manual", shared with permission).
Worksheets/ printables included:
1 Student Success Factors: this handout is for the SLP. It includes a checklist of considerations prior to beginning therapy, such as adverse negative oral habits, enlarged tonsils, and more
2 Mouth Posture & Exercises: this includes one handout for parents, and one handout for students. It explains the negatives of an open mouth posture, and provides basic labial coordination and strength exercises.
Orofacial Myology Basics Cont’d (“Ninja in Training” Stage):
2 Worksheets with board games/ activities to target labial strength/ coordination exercises and open mouth posture
2 Weekly Schedule Visuals: (provided on one page) these visuals help remind your student to keep their tongue tip resting on the alveolar ridge (correct lingual resting posture) and to keep mouth closed at rest
3 Labial Strength & Coordination Worksheets with board games/ activities to target lingual strength and coordination exercises (with a focus on slow, coordinated movements) and to promote correct labial posture at rest
1 Flip Book which explains to a student where the tongue tip should be at rest. It also targets lingual strength and coordination exercises, as well as production of LA-TA-DA-NA which focuses on repeated, slow, controlled movements of the tongue tip to the alveolar ridge. Cut out pages indicated and assemble in the correct order to the first page of the flip book.
These Orofacial Myology worksheets/ handouts are labeled “Ninja in Training”. Before moving on to the next stage (worksheets labeled “Student Ninja”), student must prove he/ she is able to control and shape the tongue and demonstrate normal lingual rest posture. Orofacial Myology (OFM) Exercises in the “Ninja in Training” stage are designed to target jaw stability and lingual-mandibular differentiation. It is extremely important that the student is able to demonstrate slow, controlled movements as well as rapid and precise movements.

NEXT, you'll establish /s/ in isolation using tips and tricks while making sure that tongue stays in the correct spot. You'll slowly build on this skill while practicing final /ts/ words and phrases:
Worksheets/ printables included:
“Student Ninja” Speech Practice Worksheets/ Activities:
3 “Whispered T” Worksheets: since the student has now demonstrated the ability to position the tongue tip to the alveolar ridge, these worksheets focus on the use of correct tongue posture while producing the lingual-alveolar sound /t/. The focus will be on a “whispered” /t/, with only a small amount of airflow required for correct production.
3 “Long T” Worksheets: after your student has mastered the “Whispered T”, trick them into production of /s/ by slowly adding airflow. Just don’t TELL them ;-)
3 Worksheets & 16 task cards which target final /ts/ words: move on to these worksheets after the long /t/ has been mastered. The final /ts/ words on these pages and task cards have been carefully selected, as they do not contain any competing /s/ and /z/ phonemes.
4 Worksheets which target final /ts/ words in phrases: the final /ts/ phrases on these pages have been carefully selected, as they do not contain any competing /s/ and /z/ phonemes. Complete in the suggested order (i.e. “Speech Practice 4th” before “Speech Practice 5th”).

LAST, you'll target /ts/ in sentences. These sentences were very carefully selected. They do not contain any competing /s/ or /z/ sounds or voiceless /th/. You'll then utilize co-articulation to move from /ts/ to /s/ in the initial position with even more carefully selected sentences.
Worksheets/ printables included:
“Master Ninja” Speech Challenge Worksheets/ Activities:
3 Worksheets to target final /ts/ words in sentences: the final /ts/ sentences on these pages have been carefully selected, as they do not contain any competing /s/ and /z/ phonemes.
3 Worksheets which utilize co-articulation to move from final /ts/ words to /s/ words in the initial position. These sentences have also been carefully written so there are no other competing /s/ or /z/ phonemes.

All worksheets in this interdental and lateral lisp packet are low ink.

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